(Photo provided)

Legislation authored by State Senator Michael Crider that would increase the statute of limitations for filing rape charges passed the House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code today by a vote of 12-1.

Senate Bill 94 would increase the statute of limitations for filing rape charges by five additional years if the state discovers new DNA evidence identifying the offender, or an individual confesses to the crime.

“My bill will extend the statute of limitations by an additional five years if there is a confession, or if new DNA evidence is identified,” Crider said. “My hope is that this legislation will not only give victims of these types of crimes some closure, but the opportunity for justice, which does not exist if the facts come forward outside the current five-year statute of limitation.”

SB 94 will now move to the full House of Representatives for further consideration.